Asuna Watase lives in a small village with her widower mother and tiny kitten Mimi. There is a warning about a bear in the area. While walking on a railroad bridge, she encounters a giant monster and is rescued by Shun. He's from a foreign land. Substitute teacher Ryuji Morisaki tells her about Agartha, an underground world of the dead. She goes looking for Shun, only to be met by another boy, and attacked by armed men called Archangels. They enter Agartha and one of the Archangels reveals himself to be Morisaki who is on a personal mission.

Filmmaker Makoto Shinkai definitely has some Hayao Miyazaki in him. Some of the creature designs are reminiscent of the master's work. This has many of those touches including a magical other world and a little girl protagonist. Morisaki does bug me starting with his exposition overload. Instead of letting the girl discover this world slowly, it comes at the audience like an avalanche. I also don't like him joining the quest. Asuna already has the same ultimate mission with her dead father. He's not necessary and also is a wet blanket to the wonderment of it all. Then the dark creatures come out of the ground. They are a great turn which adds a terrific spice to the story. This is a great world with a compelling lead. I could do without Morisaki and the Archangels but they're not that bad.

Asuna is a school girl who likes to listen to music she picks up on her homemade crystal radio; one day while listening she picks up music of a type she has never heard before. The next day in school they are warned that a bear has been spotted nearby but she still tries to go to the remote spot where she hear the music; on the way she encounters a fearsome creature; a boy named Shun saves her but he is injured in the process. Not long afterwards she learns that he has died but can't quite believe it. She returns to the spot where she last saw him and thinks she sees him again but it is his brother Shin. Surprisingly they are met by a military force that is determined to find its way into Shin's home; the legendary underground world of Agartha. Asuna and Shin manage to flee to Agartha but the leader of the armed force gets in to although he is revealed to be somebody who may not be so bad after all; he is just a man who believes that Agartha holds the secret to bringing his late wife back to life. Once in Agartha they will have to deal with the local people; some are friendly but most are fearful of 'Topsiders'. People aren't the only threat; there are also the cursed Ikozu; creatures who dwell in the shadows and will devour people like Asuna!

People who have watched any of Makoto Shinkai's previous works will be expecting stunning visuals… and they won't be disappointed; this looks fantastic. From his trademark shining railway tracks to the luscious scenery everything looks great. We don't get a large cast of characters but the ones we get are interesting and are portrayed in a way that will make most viewers care about them. The story is more fantastical than his previous works; in fact the film it reminded me of most was Hayao Miyazaki's 'Princess Mononoke' as it deals with mythical creatures. The fantasy elements may suggests that this is a film for younger viewers but there are plenty of genuinely creepy moments that could possibly give younger children nightmares; the Ikozu are particularly creepy and we see blood spilt more than once. Overall I'd say that this will is well worth watching; especially if you enjoyed Shinkai's previous works or films like 'Princess Mononoke'.

These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.

A young adolescent girl that is both virginally cute, intelligent and strong willed goes into a world that anyone would have believed it a fantasy, filled with weird and wonderful beings, demons and guardians alike. Sounds familiar? It is incredibly difficult to believe this is not one of Ghibli's productions, as it copies the character, story and animation styles from Hayaio Miyazaki's films, like Princess Mononoke or Howl's Moving Castle.

The story, however, is a little bit lopsided. The apparent gravity defying feats of characters that otherwise are completely human or some of the underworkings of the hollow Earth world of Agartha are completely unexplained. Some things seem to happen just because they need to and some happen without any relevance to the story or mood of the film.

Still very good animation and storyline, though. I recommend it.